Lonesome Dove

Lonesome Dove is the groundbreaking 1989 television Western miniseries that was based on the novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry. The miniseries, which was directed by Simon Wincer, starred Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. The miniseries would spawn several additional sequels, including 1993's Return To Lonesome Dove.

One of the thugs tries to charge Gus' ad-hoc bunker (He kills his own horse at the edge of a ditch to give him a firing position with full cover to fend off the mercenary Kiowa bandits on the bare Southern Plains) with a War Lance while on horseback but Gus just chuckles as he stands up from behind his cover and knocks the young brave off his horse with a single shot at medium-close range, firing a single shot from the hip!

Gus firing his Henry at the thugs.

One of the thugs, having taken shelter just beyond reach of the Henry's maximum range of 200 yards for any "normal" marksman, stands up to "give the old man a better target". When the Thug does stand and starts doing a chicken dance and singing like a rooster, Gus flips up the ladder sights and shoots him in the gut with a beautiful shot-especially easy to appreciate if you have the experience of firing the Henry, knowledge of the trajectory on 19th century black powder weapons or have been in combat).

Gus jumps out to get the drop with his Henry on the horse thieves in Part 3.

10 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun

One of the robbers who holds up Rosco Brown (Barry Corbin) is armed with a 10 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun. He even claims it is a 10 Gauge and asks his partner to shoot him so he won't tear up his clothes with the shotgun blast.

Holland & Holland Paradox - 10 Gauge.

The robber with his shotgun.

The robber fires his shotgun at July. A 10 Gauge in one hand is brutal, but not when firing blanks.

Colt New Service

One of Blue Duck's thugs firing at Gus McGrae (Robert Duvall) in Part 2 is seen using a Colt New Service revolver, which is extremely anachronistic for the time, but is typically used by actors who cannot fire a single action gun fast enough for film standards.

Unknown Rifle

In Part 3, Big Zwey (Frederick Coffin) uses an unknown rifle to hunt buffalo, before returning to beat Luke (Steve Buscemi) for making advances on "his woman".

Big Zwey with his rifle.

This shot indicates it could be a Hawkins Plains Rifle, anachronistic for the time.

Special: "Uva Uvam Vivendo Varia Fit"

Famous to all who have seen the film, Gus comically added this Latin phrase to his sign without any idea as to what it says. Call asks "What if it's an invitation to rob you?" and he replies, "If any man can read that, he's welcome to." While the translation is impossible to translate exactly, the basic translation most people agree on is "A grape changes color (ripens) when it sees another grape."

I won't explain the scene but it is hard not to spoil the ending with this shot. Sorry.